Special ballad commemorates Mayo's Rosary priest

A special commemorative ballad depicting the life and journey of Rosary priest Fr. Patrick Peyton has been composed by a fellow Mayo native.

The composition by Foxford native Patrick Fox celebrates the 37th anniversary of the death of Fr. Peyton, from Attymass.

The ballad will be presented to the Fr. Petyon Centre in Attymass on Thursday, August 15, and will be accompanied by his original autograph and article from 1992.

Born in January 1909 in Attymass, Fr. Peyton died on June 3, 1992 (aged 83), in California.

He gained global recognition as the Rosary priest as he encouraged family prayer and the power of the Rosary.

The Ballad of Fr. Patrick Peyton CSC

From beneath the great Ox Mountains in a place called Attymass

In the month of May in Bofield School aged five he went to class

And the year of Nineteen-Seventeen on to Bonniconlon School

Near the home of his grandparents who kept a firm rule

Before the age of fifteen years ‘twas the year of Twenty-Three

This young man grew in saintly ways, his goodness was the key

He was enrolled in Crower School in Nineteen Twenty-Four

But then he left the school and thought of leaving Ireland’s shore

In Nineteen Twenty-Seven his sisters sent the word

And Patrick and his brother Tom set sail for the New World

America became their home like Irishmen before

And Patrick joined the priesthood, his vocation to explore

He became a holy priest when he was ordained

A founder of the Prayer Crusade beyond the Western Plains

He laboured with the rich and poor to spread Our Lady’s prayer

Far from the shores of Ireland which once we all did share

Millions pray throughout the world today because of what he did

He rallied in Sao Paulo, the Philippines up to Madrid

He used the local radio, TV and the great outdoors

He led many public Masses in sunshine and downpours

In the Marian Year of Fifty-Four to Ireland made his way

Where millions they would gather round to humbly kneel and pray

This holy man he passed away in June of Ninety-Two

Far from his humble cottage home for which he would hold true

He is buried in a humble grave far from his Mayo home

Where the curlew and the lark still sing and once he had a home

Like millions more he had to go from the land he loved so well

Fr Peyton is a local saint whose tale we’re proud to tell.

We will pray he’ll intercede for us as we journey on our way

And help us in the life we live now and every single day

His prayers will all be heard, we know, he was such a holy man

Someday he’ll be a Saint of ours, we hope that’s in God’s plan.